I live in New York City, where there are quite a few Eastern European saunas and bath houses. I’ve only been to a few of them, but every experience has been memorable — partially because of how intense-slash-relaxing a sauna or spa day can be, but also because of the ambiance. Some spas serve full meals, and some have rooms where the walls are made entirely of ice. And sometimes I’ll see someone getting brushed with leafy sticks while steaming up in the sauna.

It's my new holiday tradition!

One thing about me: I love a good beverage. Seltzer, Diet Coke, a gorgeous iced coffee, fancy kombuchas, non-alcoholic Ghia Spritzes, good natural wine, ice-cold cheap beer — the list goes on. As such, my mom once got me a wine fridge for Christmas that could hold up to 12 bottles of wine. It was nice enough, but it was no match for my apartment’s winter heating system and internal summer temps, so it could really only hold the wine at about 55 to 70 degrees.

My mornings and evenings are so much cozier now.